Business briefs for July 25, 2001

Wednesday, July 25, 2001 | 10:46 a.m.

Hamburger chain hits Vegas firm with lawsuit

Tommy's Original World Famous Hamburgers and Original Tommy's World Famous Hamburgers of Glendale, Calif., sued to stop a Las Vegas fast food restaurant from selling hamburger restaurant franchises under its trade name.

Tommy's, which said its trade name appears in 14 restaurants in Southern California and in six other restaurants operated by a franchisee, sued Luis Marmolejo Casillas doing business as Tommy's Chili Burger and Tommy's Hamburger, Lumargos Enterprise Corp. doing business as Lumargos Inc. and Marie Ann Moler.

The federal suit said the defendants have also threatened to misappropriate Tommy's method of preparing the ingredients of its chili, hamburgers, hot dogs and other food products, the method of packaging and the identities of its distributors, suppliers and employees.

The defendants could not be reached for comment.

Defects alleged at home development

Renaissance At Tierra De Las Palmas Homeowners Association sued its three developers, alleging defects in the common areas of the 187-home development in North Las Vegas.

The project is at the intersection of West Lone Mountain Road and Happiness Street.

The homeowners association sued Renaissance At Tierra De Las Palmas LLC, American Communities LLC and American Communities Inc. in Clark County District Court.

Robert Porter, American Communities' former owner, declined comment on the allegations.

Vegas mortgage operation sues former employee

A Las Vegas real estate mortgage broker sued to stop a former employee, his three companies and a rival from using its trade secrets and client lists and from soliciting its investors.

Pacific West Mortgage sued Builders Capital Inc. and Kevin Smith, who Pacific said is president of Vegas Knights Film Productions Ltd., a general partner of Forbidden Angel Ltd. Partnership and president of Rebel Productions International Ltd.

Smith is vice president of Builder's Capital, the Clark County District Court lawsuit said.

Smith, who was hired as a loan officer in August 1998 to solicit investors for Pacific West's trust deed real estate-related investments and left on June 12, is accused of forming Vegas Knights, Rebel Productions and Forbidden Angel while employed by Pacific West and of soliciting its customers to invest in his film ventures and other investments. The suit seeks damages for lost business opportunities after Smith allegedly "clandestinely" removed Pacific West's select client list and diverted investors to his companies.

Smith declined comment on Pacific West's charges.

Vegas attorney sued over advertising phrase

A Texas advertising agency sued to stop a Las Vegas personal injury attorney, Glen Lerner, from using what it described as its copyrighted phrase, "One Call-That's All" in his advertisements.

Invision Advertising sued Lerner in U.S. District Court on Tuesday.

Invision, which said it agreed in July 1998 to grant Lerner the rights to use the "One Call-That's All" phrase in return for a 15 percent commission, said it terminated that agreement effective April 16 because of Lerner's alleged "violation of the (agreement's) exclusivity and payment clauses."

The ad agency, citing an industry media report, said Lerner has, since April 16, continued to use the phrase on more than 800 occasions on television and radio commercials, billboard and yellow page advertisements.

Lerner could not be reached for comment on the allegations.

Vegas firm sues over dental patents

Millennium Business Group USA Inc. of Las Vegas sued to stop a Waltham, Mass.-based dental implant distributor and its Swiss parent company from infringing two dental implant patents it said it owns.

Millennium sued the Straumann Co. doing business as Straumann USA, the U.S. distributor of dental implants made by its Swiss parent, Straumann Holding AG doing business as Institut Straumann AG, in U.S. District Court.

Millennium, which said it was assigned patent rights to dental implants systems, techniques and devices invented by a doctor named Andrew Wiloughby and his company, ADT Advanced Dental Technologies, alleged the defendants' surgical and prosthetic ITI dental implant system infringed its patent rights.

Bill Ryan, Straumann USA's president, declined comment.